The pandemic has not affected everyone evenly. From exposure risk to severity of the illness to economic impact, Canadians’ experiences of the pandemic have been as diverse as we are. In fact, this disparity in experiences has become a major element of the broader conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion in our society.
Our workplaces are no exception. Diversity and inclusion has been at the forefront of many discussions about equal employment opportunity, leadership representation and workplace dynamics. But it’s also part of our discussions around parental and caregiver responsibilities, digital access and mental health. With far-reaching implications for so many aspects of the future of work, centering diversity and inclusion in your recovery strategy will help build your organization back better.
What is workplace diversity and inclusion?
The first step in building a diversity and inclusion plan that is actionable and valuable is to understand the concepts we’re talking about.
There are many definitions of diversity. For a succinct definition, we’ll turn to the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
Diversity is about the individual. It is about the variety of unique dimensions, qualities and characteristics we all possess.
Inclusion is about the collective. It is about creating a culture that strives for equity and embraces, respects, accepts and values difference.
Diversity and inclusion is about capturing the uniqueness of the individual; creating an environment that values and respects individuals for their talents, skills and abilities to the benefit of the collective.
It can’t be overstated how important inclusionary measures are to a diversity program. Ensuring the inclusion of diverse voices follows through on the promise of diversity: not only are people with different perspectives present, but their contribution is welcomed. So, developing diverse teams is important, but the next fundamental step for diversity programs is to ensure that diverse voices are heard throughout the organization, leadership is free of unconscious biases and everyone has the skills to collaborate effectively.
Why is diversity and inclusion in the workplace important?
A growing body of research suggests that developing diverse teams improves performance. After all, with diverse perspectives and cognitive competences come innovative approaches to complex problem-solving. Not to mention that reflecting the diversity of the community in which you operate, as well as your customer base, improves your ability to serve these communities.
The business case for diversity is compelling.
For example, a McKinsey & Company report found that companies with higher gender as well as ethnic and cultural diversity tended to outperform other organizations. Other research points to the positive impact of diversity on innovation. That diverse voices can serve as a competitive advantage demonstrates the benefits of incorporating a diversity and inclusion program in the workplace into your strategy.
How do you promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
The answer to this question necessarily incorporates solutions and considerations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Things like the increased importance of digital tools or the renewed conversations surrounding flexible work options would have been much less important considerations 8-10 months ago. But because of the pandemic and the demands of lockdown on both workers and your operational infrastructure, we see emerging opportunities that can help jumpstart your diversity and inclusion strategy in the post-pandemic world.
The concept of “build back better” also informs this discussion. It’s the concept developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction that refers to using the period of recovery to create a more resilient nation by “integrating disaster risk reduction measures into the restoration of physical infrastructure and societal systems, and into the revitalization of livelihoods, economies and the environment.”
Applying this concept on a smaller scale, if performance and innovation is your organization’s goal, we know that having diverse teams can get you there. So, in a period where many of your priorities are likely in flux, the diversity of your teams and how you include varied voices can be the differentiating factor that pushes you ahead of the competition.
How do you start a diversity and inclusion program?
Starting a diversity and inclusion program can be a daunting prospect. But it may be helpful to recognize that your program will never be complete — anticipate ongoing recruitment, new priorities and continued adjustments to your approach. So, you might as well start. Here are some things to consider when starting or revisiting your diversity and inclusion program in 2020.
1. Take care of your employees in the immediate term
Start by supporting the diverse workforce you already have. Immediately, that means supporting them through the COVID-19 crisis by recognizing that your employees have likely had very different experiences of the pandemic. So, we start with actions and policies that can help support your already diverse workforce throughout the pandemic.
This can include things like:
Avoiding layoffs and supporting staff with pay premiums for those working onsite
While many provinces have entered later stages of opening the economy, it’s still worth noting that the pandemic has had a major financial impact on Canadians — especially low-income earners. Avoiding work stoppages as best as possible helps financially vulnerable individuals continue to make ends meet.
Adapting workflows and providing supportive tools
This includes elements that support work from home initiatives as well as increased safety measures for those working onsite. These strategies should take into account the varying ways that the pandemic has affected your diverse workforce. For example, parents are likely managing newly altered school schedules and can benefit from accommodations such as changed schedules or access to online resources for home-schooling. In another way, workers with disabilities may also require accommodations if your workplace has instituted new technology or safety requirements.
Mental health and wellbeing
Lastly, understanding that the pandemic has been a stressful event for many of your employees, offering improved mental health and wellbeing resources can help your employees manage their mental health and choose the resources that will help them the most. Additionally, checking in with your employees and respecting work-life balance can help your employees immensely.
To read more about how employers can put inclusion and diversity at the heart of their COVID-19 response, download The Adecco Group’s whitepaper “The Inclusion Imperative” here.
2. Set goals, assign timelines, assess results
Just like any business initiative, it’s important to use data to assess the success of your diversity and inclusion program. With measurable benchmarks in place, your diversity and inclusion goals are transparent, and you can hold your organization accountable.
How do you measure diversity and inclusion in the workplace? The answer is specific to your organization, but in their article on this subject, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Employment Equity, Elizabeth Hirsch and Donald Tomaskovic-Devey suggest collecting the following data on your diversity and inclusion efforts:
Composition data
This is human rights-based data identifying people’s race, disability, sexual orientation and other areas. The Ontario Human Rights Commission provides a thorough rundown of the process of data collection in accordance with Canada’s human rights legislative framework. Consult your province’s human rights legislation for more information.
Pay data
To help identify pay gaps by comparing this information to composition data (above).
Complaints of discrimination, bias and harassment
Keeping track of complaints as well as the organization’s response can help identify patterns of behaviour that need to be officially addressed.
But collection is only the first part of a strong diversity and inclusion program.
Use the data you’ve collected in conjunction with demographic and industry data to identify areas for improvement. Make these goals measurable and set a timeline. Whether it’s increasing diversity in your management team to match other organizations in your industry, closing pay gaps, or identifying departments that have a high number of complaints and where diversity and inclusion training is warranted, these goals help formalize diversity and inclusion goals in very real ways.
And by assessing results, you can both ensure that the steps you’re taking are working and course correct where needed.
3. An inclusive culture provides space for employees to tell you what they need
But don’t let your strategy be driven solely by the numbers. It’s important to also gain an understanding of what your employees need by what they tell you they need.
On the ground level, creating an inclusive culture gives your employees the space and security to do just that. Surveys, focus groups and listening sessions are effective ways to gain insights into the issues your employees face and the support they need.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are another strategy to understand the experiences and feelings of your employees. These are employee-led groups that create a safe space for members — who share a specific characteristic such as gender, ethnicity or race, and sexual orientation — to discuss topics of interest and provide both emotional and career support.
And at the managerial level, recognizing that diversity is most effective when different perspectives are incorporated into decision-making, focus on improving diversity here so that diverse perspectives at the top can help effect real change for an organization at all levels. Accomplishing this includes proactive recruitment and hiring measures, but it can also mean promoting from within and providing mentorship and career development programs for target groups to nurture talent.
4. Use digital tools to support diversity and inclusion in your workplace
The pandemic has certainly altered what our work world looks like. Many companies completely adjusted their operational practices and increased their reliance on digital tools almost overnight. Looking ahead, however, it’s these very tools and the work arrangements they enable that can support diversity within your organization. Let’s take a look at a few examples from “The Inclusion Imperative.”
Remote work is a valuable option that supports the needs of a wide variety of individuals, including those with care duties (primarily women, but also all parents as well as other caregivers), neurodivergent employees who may find traditional workplaces overwhelming, lower-paid workers who have to commute for extended periods of time, and younger workers who are more adaptable to digital solutions. By expanding the candidate pool, remote work helps employers find and support a larger variety of workers.
But don’t forget inclusion. When the digital tools that support remote work are implemented with inclusion in mind, everyone wins. This means that in remote work scenarios, your employees’ access to high-speed internet and the availability of facilities are taken into account. And it also means that the new tools are used to encourage participation from everyone by, for example, enforcing agendas on conference calls to give everyone space to speak and avoid any single person from dominating the conversation.
Diversity and inclusion is an important topic, especially after we saw the inequalities among our peers laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we begin the process of returning to our new normal, improving diversity and inclusion is a concrete step we can take towards a better work experience for everyone.